Azoth
by Ikonoka
Summary: An uncharted city. A forgotten artifact. An innocent man. What could possibly happen when Ed and Al decide to jump into the case? First time, please R&R even criticism
1. Prologue

_Alright, I'll admit, this is my first fanfic. I happen to be a fan of FMA, so I decided to start here. Since I've only seen bits and pieces of the anime and read the manga, the story is set before the incident where Alphonse gets infused with… well, for those who watch the anime, you'll know what I'm talking about, I don't want to ruin it (panics) Anyways, enjoy the struggle of a fresh writer entering the chaos that is fanfiction (insert nervous smilie)  
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_**Disclaimer**: I don't own any characters that you've heard in FMA. Let's leave it simply at that.  
_

**_Prologue-_**

**_The Blade of Blue and Red_**

_Crap,_ he thought, _I don't think this is gonna work._

He ran until the footsteps following him were gone. He didn't do anything too major… at least, he thought. All he did was pick up a package, which was now nestled firmly in his arms, and the guards of the building went ballistic. Letting himself gather his thoughts, he used his exceptionally bright logical mind to figure out what this was all about.

He drew a blank.

"Damnit," he cursed, "What in the world is going on? This package couldn't be that important." He was given explicit instructions to not to open the package, but yet again, he used his logic to determine the contents of the cloth-wrapped object. "Well, let's see… this end seems smaller than the other," he said, "And this side seems to be considerably larger…" He examined the object thoroughly, from one end to the other, becoming more intrigued with each detail he discovered.

_It's a sword!_, he exclaimed under his breath. He deduced that the lighter end was the handle, so he gripped the sword as if it wasn't covered, and found that despite the blade's apparent size, it was noticeably light. He swung it around a bit, and not knowing his own strength, he lunged at a nearby wall. With it's light weight, the sword smashed against the wall, making a gigantic crash in the process.

"Hey, you! The one from the storehouse!" a man exclaimed. Realizing that his very delicate cover was blown, he began to flee towards the exit of the alleyway he was hiding in, only to be stopped by a squat yet heavyset military officer. The soldier was only armed with a nine millimeter pistol, which to a normal man was still very dangerous.

"You thought you could just pick up a suspicious package, did you? Well, I'm here now, so hand it over for inspection, or I might just set a chunk of lead in that puny little head of yours." The man gave a chuckle, unaware of the doom he just cast upon him and the fellow officer who rounded the corner at that instant.

If there's anything that 18 year old Raphael Ivaldi took to heart, it was his talented intellect. He's always known he had an unmatched logic and lightning-fast reaction, but he took it humbly, for according to his noble father, gloating about something is showing that you take that gift for granted. But when someone disrespected his noticeable ability, he took a very pride-driven defense.

"What are you doing just standing there like a drunk idiot? Hand over the package, or I'll blow your brains into slush!"

He almost let out a laugh at the immature comment, and at how much he trusted the small handgun he possessed. Using his common sense, he very quickly brought the lightweight blade up into the man's side. With a sickening crunch, the man fell over, out of breath and feeling a very deep pain in his ribs. Taking the advantage, Raphael raised the blade over his head to incapacitate his downed foe, but was cut short by a bullet to the blade from the unnoticed officer behind him. A very lucky shot, the lead projectile hit the clip that held the cloth on the sword together.

In a very slow motion, the cover fell off the sword, revealing a very intricate design that wove red, blue, and yellow across the blade, and a pure gold hilt shone brilliantly in the dreary alleyway. Raphael turned around to face his attacker, and with an inhuman dash, he appeared directly in front of the tall, yet thin officer. The last thing the soldier remembered was a demonic glare emanating from the swordsman's deep crimson eyes.

Raphael woke up, and to his amazement, he was fully upright, standing in the same alleyway, with something in his hand.

He then at that moment remembered what happened up until a gun fired from the direction he deduced as behind him. After that moment, all seemed to go blank. He walked around a bit, gained his foot coordination back, and then decided to take a look around. That decision he came to regret.

In front of him, two mangled bodies were pitifully strewn across the alley… all six pieces of them.

Despite the horror he faced, Raphael kept a calm demeanor, as to not alert any passerby. He yet again used his superior logic to determine either one of two things: Some random monster had just come through and thoroughly diced the two soldiers, or that the object he held in his hand was stained with blood.

He slowly turned his head towards the package that had obviously been uncovered, since the cloth had been thrown in a nearby dumpster. All he saw was a beautiful sword, which looked it hadn't ever even seen the light of day, let alone a gory duel between men. It was a large weapon, despite its weight, being about a foot long handle, with about a four foot long single edge blade. The handle and hilt were decoratively engraved with gold, and a blood-red ruby emitted an ominous luster.

However, where the lower portion of the sword was beautiful, the blade was quite the opposite. It was designed in a wicked fashion, with the blade being not only serrated, but at the bottom of each edge was a sharp gold trim, as if it was meant for more pain as it cruelly impaled its victims. The blade itself was a deep blue, with blood-red trimmings. Near the hilt was almost a shape that reminded him of a six pronged star, as if something out of a magic book.

He dismissed the shape as a decoration, and then began thinking of a plan of action. He decided to not alert any kind of authority, since as of right now, he considered himself a felon. He also strangely decided to leave the bodies where they lay, for the scene was too strange, being that there were scattered limbs and sections of two human beings, but not a drop of blood was in sight. He deduced that the scene would be declared abnormal, and would be later covered up by the ever-secretive government. Going to the only place he knew in this bizarre city, he picked up the cloth, covered the sword, and walked off with the blade that would send his life into a spiral of slaughter.

**:Fin: **

_Well, now that that's done and over with, now I get to be anxious about getting som reviews (insert nervous smilie)  
_

**_Disclaimer:_** _Again, I don't own any characters from FMA. If I did, I think all hell would break loose :-p_**  
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	2. Train Ride

_**Foreword:** Well, I didn't get any reviews on the prologue, so I guess I'll just continue on with the first chapter. Anyways, for those who actually take the time to read this, enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer:** If you've heard anything before in this fic, I probably don't own it._

_**Chapter One:**_

_**Train Ride**_

"Damnit, Winry, I'm not short!"

"Yes you are, you're just in serious denial."

"You know, she has a point, big brother…"

"Al, be quiet, no one asked you."

A heated argument, having started an hour ago when Edward Elric overheard the word "short" in the seat next to his, was currently in progress on the only train heading to the city of Dublith. Ed, along with younger brother Alphonse and personal mechanic Winry Rockbell, were seated in a section together, which proved close quarters for the enraged alchemist.

"Alright, if I say I'm 'vertically challenged', will you and everyone else stop commenting on my height?"

"Hmm… lemme think about it, I don't think that'll suffice," Winry said with a teasing smile.

"Hahaha, brother, don't worry, you know it's just a little joke, right?" An echoed laugh could be heard from within the giant suit of armor seated next to his older brother.

"Sure, just a joke that everyone seems to join in on," Ed said with a grunt and a frustrated disposition. Letting out a sound of aggravation, he said "Jeez, how long is this train ride, anyway?"

"We got about another hour or so," replied Winry. "We just left Rush Valley, so don't expect us to amazingly appear in Dublith."

"Whatever… I can deal with the ride as long as I don't hear the word…" At that very ironic moment, Ed heard someone let out a soft 'shrimp'. Unbeknownst to the now furious teenager, the couple continued talking about their dinner plans while a giant metal boy and an amused girl struggled to hold him down.

After the noticeably tired alchemist had fallen asleep, the train trip seemed a little dull without him yelling and jumping everywhere at the slightest murmur pertaining to height. Winry gazed inattentively out the window, and Al tried to immerse himself in a hairstyle magazine. He did occasionally notice a very lucrative hairstyle that he could use on his single ponytail of hair, which only happened to be artificial horse hair used to decorate his suit of gray armor. With Ed snoring loudly next to the alchemist-in-training, the scenery outside seemed to coincide with the dreary and unexciting train car. That is, until a very loud and rough crash was heard near the front of the train. The shockwave eventually reached the threesome's car, and the violent surge sent all unbuckled passengers flying to the roof. Of course, the only unbuckled passenger happened to be a sleeping Edward, whose head slammed against the metal ceiling. Dropping back down onto the seat, with his bright yellow hair obstructed by a large bulge and same-colored golden eyes now fully opened and filled with rage, he shouted, "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"

"Sorry about that, folks," said a rail attendant stepping into the car, "It seems the train has slightly derailed, and hit a nearby boulder."

"How in the world can a train _slightly_ derail?" shouted the agitated Ed.

"Well, kid, I don't know, but to all the other passengers, the trip to Dublith will be temporarily stopped until we can find a replacement engine car, and lift the damaged one off of the tracks." Fuming at the second word the attendant said, Edward got up, rubbed his head a little, and slipped on the red jacket he had been sleeping under over his black suit and pants.

"Show me the problem; I'll get the train running."

After a bit of negotiation with the rail captain, and a thorough examination of the totaled engine, the alchemist said, "Well, either one of two things can happen. Either I fix the train car and we can head off to Dublith, or I can just repair the rails and let the passengers rest a while."

"I know you're gonna let us rest," said a slightly annoyed Winry. "I don't want to be cooped up with short-fuse and the tin can for another hour without grabbing some food and shut-eye." Followed by an Al who looked hurt at the name he was called, Winry walked over to the nearly-destroyed engine to take a look. Even though auto-mail prosthetic limbs were her specialty, she had a vast amount of experience in the field of mechanics. "Maybe you should let me do the repair job this time, Mr. Fullmetal."

"I doubt you can fix a ten ton train engine with just your non-existent brain and a wrench," replied an unnoticeably furious Ed.

"Please, why don't we just all take a break? You two sound like a bickering old couple," were the words from the metallic giant, who was sick of seeing his brother and best friend shoot each other with verbal insults. "I may be just a hollow suit of armor, but even I'm tired of sitting in that uncomfortable train seat."

The two hot-headed teens looked at Al for a second, actually noticing he had a point. The two apologized half-heartedly, and went back to the rail car to grab their things.

"Jeez, why in the world did I just not fix that stupid train?" The nearest town to the wrecked train happened to be five miles away from the accident, which meant all of the passengers were forced to hike the long trip. Especially angry, Ed was constantly cursing under his breath during the three hour trip. When they finally reached the village, which happened to be quite an urban city, Ed rejoiced, and immediately began to nurture his only human foot.

"Wow," said an amazed Al, "this place is actually pretty big…"

"I know, the rail attendant said it was a small village… I guess they must not've kept an up to date record on this place…" said an equally shocked Winry. "Well, at least we know we're not going to have to worry about comfort. I can see a beautiful hotel over there!" With a near-giddy smile, Winry began sprinting in the direction of what looked like a hotel made of pure gold. Of course, if it was made of gold, both Elric brothers knew no one could gather that much of the precious metal to construct such a marvel.

However, when the two alchemists came closer and examined the building, they were shocked to find that it was in fact pure, untainted gold.

"Alchemy," they said in unison. "No other way. Not only is that illegal, but whoever did this is truly an alchemist of a high caliber," said the older Elric, racking his mind for any major alchemic events that could've created this as a byproduct.

"Hmm, what's this?" said Alphonse, noticing a very small indentation in the ground. He followed the crack around the building, noticing at regular intervals were exactly six spikes protruding from the shape he realized was a circle. "Brother… this is a transmutation circle!"

"Really? No way! Lemme see…" Edward rushed to his brother's side, and followed the same path Al took in reverse, realizing that it was in fact the shape of a transmutation circle, the basic six-pronged star shape surrounded by a circle. What he couldn't find were many other markings resembling letters, which actually told, in a sense, what the circle is going to transmutate. He continued to follow the symbol around, until his head hit the chest of a man he knew all too well.

In an instant, Alex Louis Armstrong lifted Ed and locked him in a tight bear hug. As to not attract attention, he quickly let him down as quickly as he had picked him up. After regaining his breath, Ed looked back at the major, and not to his surprise were Colonel Roy Mustang and 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, both letting out a small laugh at the site of such a large man giving someone a hug.

"Well, Fullmetal, looks like it's a big coincidence finding you here," said the colonel, giving his trademark smirk. "I'm guessing you're still on the hunt for the Stone."

"Yeah. What's it to you, you flame-throwing asshole?" As always, Ed gave his two cents in a slightly cruel way to his superior.

"Just wondering. If you aren't in any hurry, though, I'd like to talk something over with you."

"Hmm, and what would that be? I hope it's not some pansy-ass mission… If it's anything like that, I'm afraid I'll have to blow your brains out." Ed turned and faced the opposite direction, as to walk off in an uncaring demeanor.

"Actually, quite the contraire." At the sound of this, Ed actually opened up his ears to what the colonel had to say. "Lieutenant, if you'd be so kind as to explain the situation to our hot-tempered friend."

Lieutenant Hawkeye, a woman with a deadly aim and even more deadly work ethic, looked almost glad to be briefing Edward. "About twelve o' clock in the afternoon, yesterday, two low-ranking officers began tracking an unidentified male who possessed an item unknown to our sources. Eye-witnesses believe that the male ran into an abandoned alleyway, where our last eye-witness declared that he saw the male examining the object. The witness then ran and found the tow officers, pointing them in the right direction to find this male."

"No other citizens stated that they saw anything out of the ordinary," Major Armstrong said, taking over the briefing. "After about an hour after contacting the soldiers, the same eye-witness then returned to the alleyway to see what had happened."

"This is all we found," stated the colonel, handing Edward a police sketch.

The scene portrayed on the sheet of paper almost regurgitated Edward's train lunch. The picture showed an alleyway, obviously, but scattered in no apparent pattern were strewn limbs of the two officers Hawkeye had stated earlier. He could make out and arm, a leg, a head, and even a few fingers scattered here and there. However gruesome it seemed, the one bizarre thing Ed saw… was that there wasn't a single drop of blood.

"Why… why isn't there…"

"Blood? We don't know." The colonel seemed just as intrigued as the young alchemist did. "All we could tell was the officers were… dismembered… by some kind of sharp edge. Whether it was an axe, sword, or even a knife, we don't have any other information."

"So. Some officers are mysteriously killed, with no trace of bodily fluid, and there's a possible murderer on the loose." Ed seemed almost too relaxed about the dire situation.

"Pretty much." Roy put on a defiant grin, and continued, "Of course, this task is probably too pansy-ass for a soldier as talented as yourself."

"Please, don't trouble yourself with flattery, colonel." Edward clenched his fist in excitement, "I'll find your killer."

**:Fin:**

_**Disclaimer:** Anyone in Fullmetal Alchemist that you've heard of before, I probably don't own._

_**Endword: **Well, there's my first chapter. I know, I probably cut it off too soon, and I probably started the entire story off on a bad foot, but hey, a writer's only as good as his criticism sometimes. :-P _


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